20-09-2017, 11:34 AM
Solar water heating (SWH) is the conversion of sunlight into heat for heating water using a solar thermal collector. A variety of configurations are available at a variable cost to provide solutions in different climates and latitudes. SWHs are widely used for residential applications and some industrial applications.
A solar-powered manifold heats a working fluid that is passed to a storage system for later use. SWH are active (pumped) and passive (convected). They use only water, or both water and a working fluid. They are heated directly or by means of mirrors of light concentration. They work independently or as hybrids with electric or gas heaters. In large-scale installations, mirrors can concentrate sunlight into a smaller manifold.
China, Europe, Japan and India dominate the global solar thermal market, although Israel was one of the first countries to mandate the installation of SWH in 1980, leading to a thriving industry.
Collector Orientation
Diagram showing the path of the sun in the sky. Solar hot water collectors should be geographically oriented to maximize the amount of daily and seasonal solar energy they receive. In general, the optimal orientation for a solar collector in the northern hemisphere is truly southern. However, recent studies have shown that, depending on its location and the slope of the collector, its collector can face up to 90 ° east or west of true south without significantly decreasing its performance. You will also want to consider factors such as roof orientation (if you plan to mount the collector on your roof), local landscape features that shade the collector daily or seasonally, and local weather conditions (misty mornings or cloudy evenings), and that these factors can affect the optimal orientation of your collector.
A solar-powered manifold heats a working fluid that is passed to a storage system for later use. SWH are active (pumped) and passive (convected). They use only water, or both water and a working fluid. They are heated directly or by means of mirrors of light concentration. They work independently or as hybrids with electric or gas heaters. In large-scale installations, mirrors can concentrate sunlight into a smaller manifold.
China, Europe, Japan and India dominate the global solar thermal market, although Israel was one of the first countries to mandate the installation of SWH in 1980, leading to a thriving industry.
Collector Orientation
Diagram showing the path of the sun in the sky. Solar hot water collectors should be geographically oriented to maximize the amount of daily and seasonal solar energy they receive. In general, the optimal orientation for a solar collector in the northern hemisphere is truly southern. However, recent studies have shown that, depending on its location and the slope of the collector, its collector can face up to 90 ° east or west of true south without significantly decreasing its performance. You will also want to consider factors such as roof orientation (if you plan to mount the collector on your roof), local landscape features that shade the collector daily or seasonally, and local weather conditions (misty mornings or cloudy evenings), and that these factors can affect the optimal orientation of your collector.